Paston and Gunthorpe Pre-School

Inspection of Paston and Gunthorpe Pre-School Gunthorpe Primary School, The Pentlands, Hallfields Lane, Gunthorpe, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE4 7YP

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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The provision is inadequate

Weaknesses in safeguarding compromise children's safety. Leaders and managers fail to follow effective procedures to ensure that all staff working with children are suitable. They have a poor understanding of the procedures to follow when there are concerns about staff. Staff do not know how to escalate their concerns should the designated safeguarding lead fail to act appropriately. This means that children are provided with a false sense of security.

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The provision is inadequate

Despite this, most children demonstrate confidence during their time at pre-school. Staff provide reassurance and comfort to those who become upset. Children choose from a range of activities that support their general development. They develop the strength in their fingers to prepare them for writing. Children carefully pour water into bottles and twist the cap on and off. They spend time attempting to write their names with pencils and make marks with chalks outside. Children express themselves as they sing songs and move their whole bodies to music. Their concentration is supported through activities such as puzzles and listening to stories. Children follow their own interests when playing. For example, they excitedly begin looking for spiders in the autumn leaves and run around the garden to find other places spiders might hide. At times, the daily routine is unorganised, and children wander around with little to do and receive minimal interactions from

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The provision is inadequate

staff. This means they become less focused and more excitable.

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need to do better?

n Leadership is weak. The nominated individual, who is also the designated safeguarding lead, has failed to follow the required procedures to report concerns about members of staff working with children to the relevant agencies, including Ofsted. This means that concerns are not rigorously and objectively managed. n Initial recruitment procedures include all mandatory checks to assess if an individual is suitable to work with children. However, procedures to monitor the ongoing suitability of staff are poor. Leaders fail to question changes to staff suitability and do not thoroughly consider all possible risks to children. n Staff and managers participate in professional development meetings. However, they have failed to consider the full extent of the concerns identified at the inspection. The manager has not kept staff up to date with changes, including the location of contact numbers for local statutory agencies for safeguarding.

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need to do better?

Furthermore, the designated safeguarding officers' poor knowledge of procedures means they do not have the skills to meet the statutory requirements. This includes providing the correct guidance and support when a safeguarding incident is raised. In addition, managers do not have the confidence of the staff, and this has meant that they have not challenged

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need to do better?

14 November 2022 decisions made. n Staff do not manage the times of day effectively when the routine changes. After lunch, children become restless, as there are too few activities available. While staff focus on cleaning, there are minimal interactions with children. During tidy-up times, staff do not consistently encourage children to help. As a result, staff focus on the task while children are not engaged in anything meaningful. n Staff regularly attend training to support their teaching skills. They implement some of the ideas in their day-to-day practice. The staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn during adult-directed activities. Each key person knows their key child's learning needs well. They understand how they can support children to learn from different activities. For example, staff help children to count accurately during filling and pouring games in the mud kitchen to help support their mathematical development.

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need to do better?

n Staff promote children's language skills appropriately. They have considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development and provide activities to help fill the identified gaps in children's communication and language development. For example, younger children are helped to learn the name of farm animals. Staff also support children to catch up by introducing vocabulary they want them to learn into their play. For example, when using logs to build hedgehog houses, children hear the word 'hibernate' and learn what this means. Opportunities to build on language skills further are introduced through real-life experiences, including watching duck eggs hatch and discussing what they see. n Staff promote children's personal care skills sufficiently. They make washing hands fun by singing songs. They praise children for looking for their own water bottles carefully and recognising their own photo and name. Children use tissues

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need to do better?

to wipe their noses and know that they need to put them in the bin. n Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported appropriately. Staff work with parents and other professionals involved in their care to help provide continuity of care and learning. Leaders have considered the individual needs of children who are entitled to additional funding when purchasing suitable resources. n Parents are engaged in parents' evening and feel that they get a good amount of information about their child's day and their learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding officers lack knowledge and understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They have failed to refer concerns about staff working with children to the required agencies. As a result, concerns have not been appropriately managed. This has created a complacent safeguarding culture, which has a significant impact on children's safety. Staff do understand the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of abuse or neglect and know to whom to report such concerns. However, they have not challenged the safeguarding decisions made by leaders. This fails to protect children.

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Due date

ensure the process for managing allegations made against staff is implemented effectively and in the required timescales so that concerns are addressed objectively and swiftly 22/11/2022

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Due date

ensure the designated officer for safeguarding has up-to-date knowledge and is able to provide suitable ongoing support and guidance to all staff 22/11/2022

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Due date

ensure there are systems in place to monitor staff's ongoing suitability rigorously and regularly 22/11/2022

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Due date

ensure all staff understand their roles and responsibilities and the safeguarding policy and procedures, with particular regard to when and how they should escalate their concerns to external agencies 22/11/2022

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Due date

review the organisation of routines to keep children engaged, particularly during transitional times of the day. 22/11/2022

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY310404 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 10262076 Type of provision Childcare on non-domestic premises Registers Early Years Register Day care type Sessional day care

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inspection

Total number of places 19 Number of children on roll 30 Name of registered person Paston and Gunthorpe Pre-School Committee

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reference number

Telephone number 07494 679467 Date of previous inspection 22 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

Paston and Gunthorpe Pre-School registered in 2005. The pre-school employs six members of childcare staff. Of these, four hold appropriate early years qualifications at level 3 or level 4. The pre-school opens from Monday to Friday, during term time only. Sessions are from 8.45am to 3.15pm. The pre-school provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the pre-school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the manager and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the pre-school. n This inspection was carried out as a result of a risk assessment, following information received about the provider. n The deputy manager joined the inspector on a learning walk and talked to the inspector about their curriculum and what they want the children to learn. n The inspector talked to staff at appropriate times during the inspection and took account of their views. n The inspector observed the quality of education being provided, indoors and outdoors, and assessed the impact that this was having on children's learning. n The manager and the inspector carried out a joint observation of a spontaneous activity. n The inspector spoke to several parents during the inspection and took account of

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Inspection activities

their views. n The inspector looked at relevant documentation and reviewed evidence of the suitability of staff working in the pre-school. n Children talked with the inspector during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

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Inspection activities

14 November 2022 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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